Bridget Jones's Diary is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Sharon Maguire from a screenplay by Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis.

The film stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, a 32-year-old British single woman who writes a diary, which focuses on the things she wishes to happen in her life.

Principal photography began in August 2000 and ended in November, and took place largely on location in London and the home counties.

She works as a publicity assistant at a publishing company in London where her main focus is fantasising about her boss, Daniel Cleaver.

Some time later, he allows Bridget an exclusive TV interview in a landmark legal case which boosts her career and prompts her to see him differently.

Bridget begins to develop feelings for Mark, and when she misguidedly and somewhat disastrously attempts to cook her own birthday party dinner, he comes to her rescue.

Mark leaves but returns to challenge Daniel and they fight in the street, eventually smashing through the window of a Greek restaurant.

The self-referential in-joke between the projects convinced Colin Firth to accept the role of Mark Darcy,[7] as it gave him an opportunity to ridicule and liberate himself from his Pride and Prejudice character.

[16] To prepare for the role, Zellweger worked at the producers' request at London book publishers Picador as a trainee in the publicity department.

[9] Before the film was released, a considerable amount of controversy surrounded the casting of the American Zellweger as what some saw as a quintessentially British heroine.

[22] The director of the film, Maguire, one of Fielding's friends, was reportedly the base for the character "Shazzer" (English slang for Sharon), as mentioned in the behind the scenes commentary on the DVD.

[9] Locations used included Shad Thames where Bridget and Daniel have their first date, the Royal Courts of Justice, St Pancras railway station and Tower Bridge.

The website's critics consensus reads, "Though there was controversy over the choice of casting, Zellweger's Bridget Jones is a sympathetic, likable, funny character, giving this romantic comedy a lot of charm.

"[27] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

[30] Mark Adams of The Hollywood Reporter praised Zellweger's knack for physical comedy,[31] and The Washington Post's Stephen Hunter said the film lets her "show both her frantic awkwardness and her tender decency".

[32] The New York Times's Stephen Holden called the film "a delicious piece of candy whose amusing package is scrawled with bons mots distantly inspired by Jane Austen", and added "Ms. Zellweger accomplishes the small miracle of making Bridget both entirely endearing and utterly real.

[35] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Hugh Grant is charming too, luxuriating in naughtiness, taking a holiday from his usual floppy, velvet romantic image as Bridget's caddish boss, Daniel Cleaver.

[38][35] Clinton wrote, "While the writers have captured Fielding's sparkling rhythm with words, they've created a bit of havoc with the plotline.

lament" becomes tiresome and "caters to women's lowest expectations and suggests that even the 'modern' 'liberated' woman is a Doris Day closet-case.

[37] In a 2021 retrospective piece for the New Statesman, Johanna Thomas-Corr discussed the more outdated aspects of the film, but said that the central performances are what makes the movie timeless.

British musician Lily Allen wrote the score and lyrics, and Stephen Daldry, best known for his Tony award-winning work on the West End and Broadway productions of Billy Elliot, was in talks to direct, joined by his co-worker Peter Darling, who was said to serve as choreographer.

Workshops for the show began with television actress and star of Legally Blonde, Sheridan Smith, in the title role.